“This Black Canyon thing does seem to tell us to go back!” Don remarked, with a sigh. “Looks like I’d have to leave you and take to the plateau in order to get to the Grand Canyon, after all. “This seems to be a locked door, all right! No boat can ever get above that tumble!”
“I’ve heard of boats going past Black Canyon,” Case insisted.
“They must have gone up in a balloon, then!” Alex suggested.
“There may be a passage around this series of falls,” Clay said.
“Well,” Alex sighed. “We’re out of sight of river pirates, anyway. We can see the blue sky over our heads, and that is about all!”
“Fine place to camp, on that shelf of rock!” Case put in. “I’d like to stay here a few days and investigate some of the caverns.”
“That’s a good idea,” Clay exclaimed. “And while we are looking in the odd crevices the water has made we may find some way of getting the Rambler up the river. Anyway, I’m not going to give up the trip until I have to! A man once went the whole length of the Grand Canyon in a boat! He must have got many a ducking!”
“Yes, but he was coming down, while we want to go up! If we were up above these falls, we might get down, by risking the boat and our own lives, but I don’t see how we are ever to get up!”
“There’s always a way!” laughed Alex. “I’ll get some of that drift out of the eddies and build a fire on that rock while you boys get supper. If you want fish, catch ’em. Seems to be plenty here.”
“You’ll have a fine time making that wet wood burn!” cried Case.